


New Home

by Jathis



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Comfort, Family, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-10
Updated: 2014-09-10
Packaged: 2018-02-16 22:36:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2286923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael finally gets the protection he deserves from his abusive mother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Home

“Janice, this is your new brother; Michael!”

Janice perked up a little at this, blinking as her step-father Steve led an older teenaged boy into the lounge. The boy was silent, carrying a few bags with him. He looked around the room, idly scratching at old medical scars that were visible at the base of his neck. She tilted her head to the side, turning her chair over to face them fully. “That’s…”

“It took some time but I managed to wrestle down a child care worker and remind them that forcing a minor to go through surgery based solely on making one’s own life easier is kind of really illegal and really abusive and wrong,” Steve confessed with a shrug. He looked over at Michael and smiled sadly, gesturing that the teen could set his things down and sit down if he wished.

“Uncle Cecil says he can only speak and understand Russian,” Janice pointed out.

“Yeah, we’ll figure something out,” Steve promised. “Maybe take sign language lessons or either we learn Russian or he learns English,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Either way we’ll figure something out, right?”

Janice smiled a little, nodding her head as she rolled herself over to the teen, holding out a hand to him in greeting. “I’m Janice!”

At first Michael did nothing but stare at the offered hand. It was as if he was worried that he would be punished for doing the wrong thing. He looked from Janice to Steve and back again, chewing on his bottom lip, wringing his hands together.

Carefully Steve placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, smiling in comfort. “It’s okay…” he said, trying to keep his voice as gentle as possible to try and help him understand his intentions. “No one is going to force you to change anymore. I promise.”

Slowly Michael raised up a hand, taking hold of Janice’s. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly, his tense body slowly relaxing when she shook his hand.

“Your mother should be home soon; I’ll go start dinner,” Steve said, heading into the kitchen.

Janice nodded, smiling as the handshake ended and Michael placed his hands in his lap, regarding her with curiosity instead of nervousness now. “You’ll like it here. I promise,” she said with a nod. “Steve’s kind of weird and sees things but he’s a good dad either way.”

Michael just nodded his head, his smile slowly growing.


End file.
